VOCABULARY

FLURRY
 a sudden and brief rush or burst of activity or emotion
 We might see a snow flurry or two tonight.; There was a flurry of excitement as the
president walked in.

MYRIAD
 a countless or extremely large number of people or things
 And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.; They offered no
solution for all our myriad problems.
 The library had a myriad of books on various subjects, catering to every reader’s interest.

UNDERLYING
 serving as the basis of foundation for something else
 And what might be the underlying significance of these supposedly random acts?; The
price of the investment fell below the value of the underlying assets.

INUNDATED
 overwhelmed with an excessive amount of something, such as information or tasks
 We have been inundated with requests for help.; We were inundated with complaints when
the show had to be cancelled.

PREVELANCE
 the fact of something being widespread or common at a particular time or in a particular
place
 The prevalence of the disease is higher in some families.; They noted the prevalence of this
attitude among leading financial experts.
 The prevalence of smartphones has drastically changed the way we communicate and
access information.

A SLIPPERY SLOPE
 a situation that can quickly become worse or even more dangerous if not addressed
immediately
 You're on a slippery slope once you start lying about your age!

OUTLIER
 something or someone that is significantly different from the norm or average
 People who live past 100 are genetic outliers, whose longevity is unreachable for most of
us.

REAP THE BENEFITS

 to enjoy the positive results or rewards of something
 We don't have to go to such extremes to reap the benefit of the natural world, though.

HARROWING
 extremely distressing or disturbing
 For many women, the harrowing prospect of giving evidence in a rape case can be too
much to bear.
 The novel’s harrowing descriptions of war and suffering left a deep emotional impact on
the readers.

DETRIMENTAL
 causing harm or damage
 These chemicals have a detrimental effect/impact on the environment.; Their decision
could be detrimental to the future of the company.

VICARIOUSLY
 experiencing something through someone else’s actions or experiences, indirectly
 The owner of a motor vehicle is vicariously responsible for injuries even though he is not
driving the car.; An employer could be vicariously liable for acts of harassment committed by
employees.

STEAL THE LIMELIGHT

 to attract attention away from others and become the centre of attention
 The experimental car certainly stole the limelight at the motor show.
 With her stunning performance, the young actress managed to steal the limelight from
more experienced actors in the cast.

COMPLEMENTARY
 the quality of two or more things that enhance or complete each other when used together
 The complementary skills among the three executives created an effective leadership team.;
My family and my job both play an important part in my life, fulfilling separate but
complementary needs.

DEFY
 to openly resist or refuse to obey a rule, authority, or expectation
 A few workers have defied the majority decision and gone into work despite the strike.;
They defied an evacuation order and stayed in town during the hurricane.
 She decided to defy all expectations by starting her own successful business despite her
young age.

EMASCULATED
 deprived of strength, power, or effectiveness, often in a metaphorical sense
 They were accused of trying to emasculate the report's recommendations.
 The protagonist’s journey in the story was a quest to regain his emasculated sense of self.

INCREMENTAL
 relating to small, gradual changes or additions, usually in a step-by-step manner
 Most research proceeds by small incremental advances.; We plan to make incremental
improvements to our existing products.

LEVERAGE
 to use something to gain an advantage or achieve a specific outcome effectively
 One of the easiest ways to leverage a charitable gift is to get your employer to match it.;
They can leverage a very small investment into millions of dollars.
 The company aimed to leverage its innovative technology to gain a competitive edge in the
market.
NOTORIOUS
 widely known for negative reasons or actions, infamous
 The company is notorious for paying its bills late.

PINPOINT
 to accurately identify or locate something precisely or with great detail
 It is not possible to pinpoint precisely the time of death.; Emergency workers at the site are
still unable to pinpoint the cause of the explosion.
 The detectives had to pinpoint the exact time of the crime to solve the case.

PRECEDENT
 an earlier event or decision serving as an example or guide for future actions
 This is an experiment without precedent in economic history.; There are several precedents
for promoting people who don't have formal qualifications.

PREFERENTIAL
 showing favouritism or giving special treatment to a particular person or group
 Inmates claimed that some prisoners had received preferential treatment.; It is not
acceptable, in a modern company, to give preferential treatment to your relatives and friends.

PROCLIVITY
 a natural tendency or inclination towards a specific behaviour or interest
 He was indulging his own sexual proclivities.

RESURGENT
 experiencing a revival or renewed strength after a decline or period of inactivity
 Many people were critical of the resurgent militarism in the country.
 The company experienced a resurgent period of growth, marking a successful comeback in
the market.

SKEWED
 biased or distorted in a particular direction, often indicating an imbalance
 Her smile is slightly skewed.